Rugged Boy
by TheMaskedGirl
Summary: Claire's life didn't work out well in Forget-Me-Not Valley. She moves to Mineral Town to live with her brother and gamble with fate. There, she meets the antisocial blacksmith. He isn't her type. He's everything she has been avoiding her whole life. But slowly, she realizes he isn't what he seems. Will she let herself fall for him or will her past with pretty boy Skye haunt her?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello there! So, uhm, this is my first try in writing a Harvest Moon fanfic. I'm not quite sure if it's going to turn out fine. But I do hope that you give it a try.

First of all, I want to thank HmGirly and Jean Cooper. They don't know it, but they're actually the ones who inspired me to write a Harvest Moon fanfic. I absolutely love Starting Over (HmGirly) and My Favorite Color (Jean Cooper). Thank you for inspiring me and thank you for the amazing stories you wrote.

There are some scenes here that I wrote for the first time. Like the kissing scene. I've never described a kissing scene like that. It might sound forced and awkward.

This was supposed to be a one-shot, really. Claire was just supposed to choose between the two bachelors, but gah. This happened. Although I'm glad that I wrote something like this. It seems so mature.

I'm rambling. Haha. I hope you like it.

Word count: 2163

Without further ado, here's Chapter One of Rugged Boy!

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><p>Rugged Boy<p>

By TheMaskedGirl

"Shit, I'm late," a certain blonde farmer cursed as she emptied the contents of her rucksack on her bed.

She glanced at the clock.

_9:00pm_

She grinned. "Well, it seems I'm not _that_ late. I've still got an hour to prepare."

A small brown dog yapped in response.

"You agree too, March?" she asked her pet dog. "How about you, Cindy?" She looked at the black cat sitting beside her television set. The cat just looked at her.

She giggled to herself. She rummaged at the mess on her bed until she found her wallet. She checked and saw that she still had enough cash in her wallet for drinks. She also took the jewelry, a blue bracelet, a pink necklace, and a rose-shaped brooch. She placed it in her sack.

She left the sack open and went to her closet. She took her sky blue dress, a dress she saved for this occasion. She also took the necessary undergarments and walked to the bathroom.

"_We meet again, my darling Claire," the silver-haired thief said smoothly, paralyzing the blonde farmer on the spot._

"_I-I'm-"_

"_Hush, my darling. I believe that fate has drawn us together. Do you believe that too?"_

"_I-well," the blonde farmer stammered. "I-I'm doing Griffin and Muffy a favor. I'm going to catch you, thief."_

"_Can you do that, Claire?" the thief purred._

_Claire remained silent._

"_I thought so," he said. He flashed her a smile._

"_S-stop!" she said. She found him handsome. She _adored_ him. But he's a thief and she promised to help catch him._

"_He's not here! Where is he?" they heard Muffy, the barmaid, whine from outside._

"_Let's go in," Griffin, the owner of the Blue Bar, suggested._

"_It looks like they'll be in any second now," said the thief. "It's time for me to go. See you soon, Claire."_

_The farmer was still in a paralyzed state. The thief walked to her and whispered, "By the way, sky blue suits you very well. It matches your eyes."_

She smiled at the memory. "My phantom thief," she whispered.

She got in the bathroom in a daze and showered.

_9:37pm_

The blonde farmer emerged from the bath, dressed in her freshly picked dress. She walked to her shoe shelf and picked a pair of black sandals. She wore it and stood in front of her mirror.

Her dress was strapless and ended above her knees. The bottom part was frilly and shiny.

She sat on the chair in her vanity table and started curling her hair.

_9:58pm_

Claire looked stunning. Her hair was in bouncy curls, kept in place with a silver clip. She applied a bit of make-up and her neck was adorned with a beautiful silver necklace with a cat pendant.

She stood and walked to the shelf beside her bed. Inside it was a blue feather, sitting proudly amongst the other items.

She took it with and care and placed it on her sack. She closed it tightly and took it.

"I can do this!"

_10:15pm_

Claire whistled a cheery tune as she made her way to the Blue Bar. She will meet the silver-haired phantom thief there.

She passed the rather large Inner Inn and the bar came into view. As she neared the infrastructure, she slowed down and stopped whistling. Her heart started beating fast.

She opened the door and the bells on it jingled.

"G'evening, Claire," Griffin greeted in a loud voice.

She smiled at him and greeted him, just as loud. "Good evening, Griffin. Have you seen, Muffy?"

"She's at the back, I reckon," he said.

"Thank-"

"More!" Claire's sentence was cut by a very drunk Rock. The blonde boy tapped his mug on the bar. "More! More! More!"

Griffin chuckled and fixed Rock's drink. He set it in front of the boy.

Marlin stood in the corner, sipping his drink quietly, observing the chaos erupting inside the tiny room.

Twins Patrick and Kassy drank their heads off beside Rock, laughing at everything.

"Yooou looook beautifuuul toniiiight, Claiiire," said Patrick, his voice slurred.

Claire giggled. "Thank you, Patrick."

Gustafa played his guitar in the corner, beside the door, making merry music. Beside him sat Nami, his girlfriend. She smiled broadly and held a half-full mug.

"Is someone with her?" Claire asked Gustafa. She went near the bar to hear him properly.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I didn't see who though," Griffin replied and pointed to his wild customers.

Claire sighed with relief. It was just as planned. He was safe.

The people inside got drunker and louder. "I'm going to the back," Claire shouted over the ruckus.

Griffin nodded and went back to fixing an impatient Rock another drink.

She opened the door to the backroom. It was empty.

The confused farmer bit her lip. "Where are they?"

She heard noise coming from Muffy's room. She smiled and climbed the ladder.

Without hesitation, she opened the door. She was greeted by the sight of a curvy girl with blonde curls and a tall, good-looking, silver-haired man in a heavy lip-lock.

Her heart pounded. She felt tears forming in her sky blue eyes. She closed the door quietly and went down the ladder. They didn't even notice her. She sat on Griffin's bed, small curled fists on her lap.

"_Skye?"_

"_Yes, my dear Claire?"_

_Skye and Claire lay in the flowerbed beside the Goddess Pond._

"_Do you love me?" Claire asked. She shivered._

"_Are you cold?" he asked._

"_Yes, but-"_

_Skye wrapped an arm around Claire, protecting her from the cold. "Talk not, darling. You know the answer," he answered softly._

_Claire smiled. "So you love me?"_

_He didn't answer._

"_So you do?"_

_He still didn't answer, but he continued to hug her._

_She assumed that he did. He didn't say yes, but he didn't say no either._

"_I love you, Skye," she said softly._

"_I know you do, my angel."_

The door creaked open and down came a smiling thief and a flustered-looking Muffy.

"Oh, Claire, you're here!" Muffy squeaked. "We've been waiting for you for ages."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Claire answered coldly.

The barmaid smoothed her red cocktail dress. "Well, I need to go and help Griffin now. I'll be back in a few. Have fun!"

Claire raised her head in time to see the girl wink at Skye.

"You look beautiful, as always, Claire," Skye said. He kissed her cheek and sat beside her.

"Aren't you going to talk, my love?" Skye asked her after a few moments of silence.

"Do you love me, Skye?" Claire finally asked. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"I thought you already know the answer to that, love?" Skye asked, confused.

"Stop acting innocent, Skye. And no, I do not know the answer. Tell me, Skye. Do you love me?" Claire asked, her voice rising an octave higher.

Silence.

"Well?" she shouted.

"Yes," he said quietly.

"Liar!" she said sharply. She held back her tears. _I am not weak._

"But I do, Claire. I really do," he said. He took her hands.

Claire removed her hands from his grasp and stood. "You don't, Skye. You don't," she said venomously. "If you do, you wouldn't kiss that... that bitch!"

Skye laughed. "You saw that?"

Claire gasped. "How-how can you laugh?"

Skye stood and curled his arms around the enraged farmer. "Because you're wrong, my love. She forced me to kiss her, darling. I didn't want to do it, but she told me that she'd tell the others that I'm here. I could have left, yes, but you might think that I stood you up."

_Don't believe him, Claire. Don't believe him. He's a smooth-talking thief. You'll just get hurt,_ she thought.

"So you allowed her to kiss you?" Claire asked, disgusted.

"Of course not! I did not kiss her back, did I?" He tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"You... didn't," she said. Claire wasn't sure. She was sure he did kiss the barmaid back, but now that he denied it, her assumption seemed ridiculous.

"Do you believe me then?" Skye asked her with a smile.

Claire bit her lip. "Yes."

Skye held her chin and raised her head. "You look absolutely radiant tonight, my sweet." He lowered his face and kissed her softly.

Claire didn't protest and kissed him back.

He nibbled Claire's lower lip, begging for entrance. She complied and parted her lips. _He tastes like... apple pie?_

After a few minutes of intense kissing, they broke apart, in need of air.

"You're a good kisser, darling," Skye whispered sexily. He started kissing her temple, then her ear. He nibbled her earlobe, her soft spot.

She gasped. He continued kissing the farmer, down her neck, her shoulder...

**Knock! Knock!**

Claire pushed Skye away, alarmed. "Hide!" she whispered hurriedly.

Skye kissed her on the lips one last time and went under Griffin's bed to hide.

The door opened. It was only Muffy.

"Where's Skye?" the barmaid asked.

Claire stopped herself from shouting at the seductive woman. _It's none of your business. _"I told him to hide. Someone might see him," she answered stoically.

Muffy sighed. "Yes. That's why I knocked, to signal that I was coming in."

_What's it to you?_ "Thanks, I guess."

"No biggie!" She said with a big smile. "Oh, and Skye, you can come out now."

_Bitch._ "Yes, love, come out now."

Skye crawled out. He stood and dusted his silver top and purple pants. Claire stood beside him and held his hand. _He's mine._

"We're closing in twenty-five minutes," Muffy informed them.

"What?" Claire asked.

"We're closing in twenty-five minutes," she repeated slowly.

Claire glared at her. She turned to Skye. "What time is it?"

"10:35," Muffy answered.

"Thanks," Claire said and rolled her eyes.

Muffy grinned once again. "You're welcome, Claire!"

"How are we going out?" Claire asked Skye.

Before Skye could answer, Muffy said, "Oh, I already thought of that. In fact, Skye and I rehearsed what we're going to do earlier while we were waiting for you."

"Great."

"Yes, it's a brilliant idea," Skye agreed.

"See?" Muffy said, the smile never leaving her flawless face.

Claire eyed the vase on Griffin's bedside table. _If you don't shut up, I might have to shut you up myself. _The image of an unconscious Muffy flashed before her eyes and she grinned evilly. She clapped her hands together.

"Uh, Claire, my sweet, are you alright?" Skye asked worriedly.

She smiled at him sweetly. "Oh, yes. I've never been better!"

Muffy gulped. "Uh, so, back to what I was saying, I'm going to distract Griffin and the customers."

"How exactly are you going to do that?" Claire asked, bored.

"Oh, just wait and see," Muffy said with a wink.

_If she winks one more time, I swear._

"Once the boys start hooting, that's your signal to go out," she continued. "They would be too distracted to notice the both of you. Besides, they're also drunk."

"You seem to have forgotten that Nami's there," Claire said, trying to find a fault in Muffy's plan.

"Nami and Gustafa left minutes ago. They always leave the bar thirty minutes after ten," she said nonchalantly.

"What if your plan backfires?" Claire asked.

"Do you have a better one?" Muffy asked, still grinning.

Claire clenched her jaw and shook her head softly.

"That's what I thought," Muffy said. "Remember when they start hooting, go out."

She winked at Skye and went out of the room.

Claire stiffened and Skye squeezed her hand. "Darling, it's alright. The plan will work."

_She winked at you, Skye! She winked at you! That's the problem!_

The boys outside started hooting, signaling for the two to leave the room.

Claire went out first to check if everyone was indeed preoccupied. They were.

Muffy was dancing on top of the bar. Her blue cardigan was on the floor and all she was wearing was her revealing red cocktail dress.

Claire pulled Skye out of the room and they raced to the door. Skye whistled softly, which annoyed Claire greatly.

She turned and saw Muffy wink at Skye for the third time.

_11:20pm_

They were sitting in the flowerbed talking and laughing. Skye had his arm around Claire who was leaning on him.

"I love you, Skye," Claire said.

"Me too," Skye replied.

"Oh, I was supposed to give you something," Claire said. She took her rucksack which was sitting few inches from them. She opened it and brought out the jewelry.

"I was mining a few days ago. I know you absolutely love these, even if they're meant for girls," she said shyly.

He took them from her and placed them in his pocket. "Thank you, love."

He kissed her again. This one started fiercely. He pushed Claire to the ground, his lips never leaving hers.

They parted for a minute to get some air and then Skye tackled Claire's soft lips. This time, she was the one who bit his lip, begging for entrance.

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><p><strong>AN:** Ta-da! Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it. Eeep. I still can't get over the fact that I wrote something like that. Haha.

I really hope you like it. What do you think about Claire? Muffy? And of course, the pretty boy Skye? (winks)

I'm sorry for the errors!

Please leave a review!

Thank you!

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Hullo! I'm back with an early (for me) update! I'm really enjoying this. I hope you are too.

The story's becoming much darker than what I intended. Oh, goddess. Haha.

Please read and Can I Have Some Peace and Quiet Please by Apples Parachute. It's a really great story, written by a great writer. Thank you!

Word count: 2, 618

So, without further ado, here's the second chapter of Rugged Boy!

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><p>Rugged Boy<p>

By TheMaskedGirl

_6:00am_

Claire woke with a start. She glared at the blaring alarm clock that disturbed her from her blissful sleep. She tapped it twice and the noise finally stopped.

Despite the rude awakening, Claire smiled. The events of the night came back, flooding her memory.

"_Claire," said Skye._

"_Hm?" she said. She twirled a lock of blonde hair around her index finger._

"_Are you willing to give me everything?" the thief asked._

_She cocked her head. "Everything?"_

"_Yes, everything."_

"_I... Yes," she finally said after a moment of hesitation._

"_Thank you," he said. He kissed her hair softly. "Your hair smells like strawberries."_

_She giggled. "I love strawberries. My conditioner smells like strawberries."_

"_I see. I'm not really fond of strawberries, darling."_

"_O-oh. I'll just order a new. What do you want?"_

"_Curry," he answered curtly._

"_Curry!" she exclaimed. She faced him, flabbergasted. She started to protest, but stopped. She looked down and said, "I'll order for a conditioner that smells like curry then."_

"_That's my girl. Thank you, Claire," he said and kissed her softly on the lips. "It's getting late now, darling. It's time to go back."_

_Claire whined softly, "It's too early to go back!"_

_Skye checked his silver watch. "It's already 12:30 in the morning, angel. Come, I'll bring you home."_

_Claire smiled and shook her head. "No, it's alright. I can manage. Takakura might see you."_

"_I insist, my love. I'd rather let someone see me than let you venture alone. There are wild dogs lurking around. I don't want you scathed."_

_Skye stood up and pulled the petite farmer with him. "Come."_

_12:47am_

"_Thank you, Skye," Claire said. She stood by her door, holding Skye's hands._

"_For what?"_

"_For everything." She stood on her toes and pecked his lips gently. "I love you, Skye."_

"_Me too, Claire. Me too." He grinned at her and kissed her forehead one last time. "Dream sweet dreams."_

_Claire blushed. She opened her door and went inside. She waved at the phantom thief and closed the door softly._

_She slid to the floor and sighed. March sat beside her and Cindy curled on her lap._

_March sniffed Claire and growled._

"_I wonder why you don't like Skye, March," Claire told the dog. "Well, he doesn't like you either. But you know what? I love you, March. You're the best dog in the world."_

Claire exited her house wearing fresh overalls, a checkered red polo, dirty shoes, and her hair in a high ponytail.

"Time to go to work!" she exclaimed.

It was almost the end of Spring and she has harvested all her crops so there was less work for her. She went to the chicken coop to check on her chickens.

"Hello, Corchy. You look good today," she greeted her oldest chicken. "Hello, Chicky, Cheny, Chichy, and Coochy." She added more chicken feed to their container. She gathered all the eggs they laid and placed it on her bag.

She saw the blue feather sitting contentedly in her pack. It dawned on her that she forgot to give it to the apple of her eye. She giggled at her dull memory and said softly, "Maybe last night wasn't the right time. I'd just have to give it some other time. This time, everything has to be perfect!"

She went to the barn next to care for her livestock.

"Good morning, Milky, Mooey, Sheepy, and Wooly."

She started whistling the same cheery tune she whistled the night before as she brushed her animals.

_7:30am_

**Ching!**

The door of Vesta's house opened and Claire walked in. "Good morning, Vesta, Marlin, and Celia," she greeted happily.

"Good morning, Claire," Vesta said who was in the kitchen, washing the dishes.

Marlin nodded his head at her. He sat on the couch watching TV.

"Oh, good morning, Claire," Celia said. "You seem to be in a really good mood today."

Claire giggled. "Yes. I had a great night."

Celia was one her best friends. Lumina being the other. She used to have three best friends, until Muffy betrayed her. To think that she trusted Muffy the most.

She gave Celia a hug and noticed her friend was wearing something peculiar.

"Your necklace," she commented.

"Oh, do you like it?" Celia asked.

"Where did you get it?" Claire asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but she was seething inside.

Celia blushed. "Someone special gave it to me." She touched the necklace and giggled.

_Oh, goddess._ "It's... uh, really nice. I'm pretty sure the one who gave that you worked really hard to find that."

"Mhm."

"By any chance, did Marlin give that you?" Claire asked, trying to calm herself.

Celia looked at her, confused. "Marlin? No, not at all."

Claire growled.

A startled Celia looked at the raging farmer worriedly. "Are you alright, Claire?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. "Hey, I have to go now. I'll see you later."

"See-"

**Boom!**

Claire slammed the door before the timid girl even got to say goodbye.

_8:00am_

Claire knocked on the Blue Bar's backroom furiously.

A bewildered Griffin opened it . "Uh, g'morning?"

Claire glared at him. "Morning, Griffin. Where's Muffy?"

Griffin gulped. "Up in her room."

"Thanks."

The nervous man made way for the angry maiden.

She stalked her way up the ladder and barged in the barmaid's room without permission.

"O-oh." The barmaid was sitting in front of her vanity table. A silver necklace sparkled around her delicate neck and a familiar-looking brooch in her blue cardigan.

"Muffy."

Muffy stood up and acknowledged Claire. She sent her a smile. "Good morning, Claire!"

_Just wait. I'm going to wipe that smile from your face, you two-faced, ugly, lying bitch!_

"So, how did it go?" she asked eagerly.

"Oh, it went well. We were so caught up with each other. We talked, we laughed, we kissed, and he told me countless times that he loves me," the angry farmer replied coldly.

The barmaid cringed. "I-I see. That's-"

"Why did you cringe? What I said, was it cringe-worthy?"

"No, but you didn't have to tell me all the details."

"Why? Months ago, whenever we have a date, you'd always press me to tell you all the details. What's so different about now?"

Muffy began sweating. "N-nothing."

"Is it because you're in love with him now?"

Claire was met with silence. Muffy looked at the floor silently.

"Answer me, Muffy," the farmer pressed. "Are you in love with my boyfriend? With Skye?"

"Yes!" Muffy screamed. She looked up to Claire. Tears ran down her face, ruining her carefully applied make-up. "I love him. I do. I'm sorry if I fell for him, but he was s-so sweet. He complimented me. He told me I was beautiful."

Claire clenched her jaw. Her hands curled into fists.

"I'm so so-sorry, Claire. I didn't want to fall for him, but I c-can't stop myself. He gave me gifts too. P-please forgive me, Claire," the barmaid pleaded. She walked to the farmer and held her hands firmly.

"Why did you kiss him?" she asked her. "Why did you force him to kiss you?"

"I-I didn't!" Muffy denied. "I swear to the Harvest Goddess, I did n-no such thing!" Tears were still running down the face of the lass.

"That jerk," Claire said in a deadly whisper. Her heart was crushed. She was betrayed by the love of her life. It seemed that she wasn't the only one broken though. Muffy was still crying and holding on to Claire's hands for dear life. But they wouldn't be the only two crying.

"C-Claire, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry," Muffy repeated.

Claire touched the crying girl's face and said softly, "I forgive you. Come, we need to set things straight."

_8:32am_

"Celia," Claire called.

"She's upstairs. She seems upset," Marlin answered. He looked at the two girls, an agitated farmer and a still-crying barmaid.

"Thanks," Claire answered briefly and went up the flight of stairs, pulling Muffy with her.

Marlin chuckled. "Don't make Celia cry too."

Claire looked back and gave him a small, forced smile. "I'll try."

Celia looked up as Claire opened the door to her room. "Claire, you're back!" she exclaimed. "Muffy! You're here too. Why are you crying?"

"Yes, there's something we need to talk about. I'll explain later," Claire said. She suddenly noticed that the other farmer wasn't wearing her new necklace. "Where's your necklace?"

Celia bit her lip. "Well, I thought you hated it. I thought it's the reason for your outburst so I just gave it to Vesta."

Claire was overwhelmed. "You did that? For me?"

Celia nodded. "Of course, you're my best friend."

The blonde farmer let go of Muffy's hand and hugged the brunette. "Thank you, Celia."

"Claire? Celia?"

The two broke the hug and looked at the barmaid questioningly.

"Maybe we should invite Lumina too?" Muffy advised.

Claire nodded. "Good idea."

_8:55am_

Celia's room was small and cozy. There was a single bed in the corner, a dressing table, a wardrobe and the door to the bathroom. Laid out in the middle of the floor was a soft carpet, where four girls, two blondes and two brunettes, were sitting.

"So what are we going to talk about?" Lumina asked her friends. She was wearing a blue bracelet which didn't go unnoticed by Claire's sharp eyes.

"New bracelet, Lu?" Claire asked.

"Oh, yes! It was given to me by my Phantom Skye!" the youngest replied dreamily.

Muffy and Claire flinched.

"Phantom Skye?" Celia said, horrified.

"Girls, girls, stop," Claire commanded. "Listen to me. Don't speak until I tell you to do so."

The three girls nodded obediently. Among the four of them, Claire was the smallest, yet she has the most power.

Claire started to tell her tale, right from the start. "I met Skye, yes our Skye, a year ago..."

_9:55am_

"That jerk! He used us!" Celia muttered angrily.

"He almost ruined our friendship!" Muffy seconded.

"He has to be punished!" Lumina screamed.

"And to think I was planning to propose to him last night!" Claire added.

The three looked at her. "Propose?" Muffy screamed.

"To Skye?" Lumina and Celia asked simultaneously.

Claire nodded and giggled nervously.

"When were you planning to tell us?" Muffy asked and crossed her arms.

"I'm not really sure," Claire said and scratched her head. "Well, I'm not going to propose to him now."

"Good," Lumina said. "I don't want you to get your heart broken."

Claire smiled at her friends. "Thanks. I do have an important question though. It's about Skye's punishment. How exactly can we take revenge on him?" she asked them.

Scattered around them were the thief's gifts. Claire's cat necklace was sprawled beside Lumina's bracelet.

"I've already got that planned," Muffy said, smirking. "But first, let's get these items to Claire's shipping bin."

Claire looked at her inquisitively. "Pardon me...?"

Celia, who got what Muffy was saying, nodded. "You see, Claire, you were the one who dug up all these jewelry. You should get money for something that you worked hard on."

The blonde farmer shook her head. "No way."

"It's only right, Claire," Lumina added. "Think of it as another form of revenge against that smooth-talking thief."

"Well, I am in need of cash," she agreed and laughed heartily.

The three other girls laughed with her.

_Oh, I missed talking to them_, she thought happily.

_10:00pm_

_I hope this would work_.

There was only one entrance to Forget-Me-Not Valley and this was often used by the commuters who work in the city. It was the only known way to get in and out of the valley and the renowned thief passes through it every evening.

Claire diligently stood beside the lamp post near the entrance, waiting for her ex-lover. A few minutes later, the silver-haired man showed up. He grinned and engulfed the girl in a hug. He kissed her head and said, "I missed you."

"Mhm," Claire replied. She kissed him on the cheek as to not arouse suspicions. "Skye, I want to give you something."

"What's that, dear?" he asked her. They began walking hand in hand, passing Vesta's farm. All the lights were off.

"It's a secret," she said with a smile. "Please?"

"Of course," he replied. "Anything for you. Where will we go?"

"To my house," Claire replied shortly.

Silence ensued.

The short trip to Claire's farm was almost over.

"Skye, do you really love me?" Claire asked in a small voice.

"I do," Skye answered a bit too fast.

"I see," Claire said. Her mind was screaming, _Liar! You don't love me! You only used me._

They reached Claire's farm. The night was silent and eerie. Claire stood on her toes and kissed Skye's lips. It was a warm and soft kiss.

A tear ran down Claire's face. "I love you so much, Skye."

"What's wrong, my love?" Skye asked. A fake frown graced his handsome face.

_If only you truly loved me, Skye. I loved you. I _love_ you. _"Nothing. Let's go in?"

Skye nodded. They opened the door to Claire's farmhouse.

"Get him!" a high-pitched male voice, Mayor Thomas's voice, shouted.

Skye was surprised and tried to get away, but Cody and the policeman from Mineral Town, Harris, the son of Mayor Thomas, held him back.

A crowd had formed outside. Apparently, they were hiding inside the barn, the coop, and the stable. When they heard Mayor Thomas shout, they immediately rushed out and gathered around Claire's house leaving Skye unable to escape.

"You betrayed me," Skye hissed at Claire.

Claire looked at him, tears running down her smooth face freely. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

Muffy, Lumina, and Celia, who were inside the farmhouse, walked to Claire and stood beside her protectively.

"Don't apologize to her, Claire," Celia said coldly, "You didn't betray him. He betrayed you."

"Asshole," Muffy said angrily. "You almost ruined our friendship. How dare you, thief."

"And to think we all fell for you!" Lumina seethed. "You hurt us, but you hurt Claire most. This is what you get!"

Skye paid no heed to the angry girls, only looking at the crying farmer. "I trusted you, Claire. I loved you!"

Claire looked up. "You never loved me, Skye. You never did."

The crowd started to disperse, assured that Harris could handle the thief. Harris cuffed Skye's hands behind him. "Any last words before we lock you up, thief?" he said.

Skye looked at Claire hard. "Believe me or not, I have actually learned to love you. You were the most obedient little bitch I could ever dream of."

Claire stiffened.

"Watch out, Claire. I will be back," he spat angrily.

"Well, you won't be able to go back. We'll keep you locked up in the city jail. Thank you, Claire, Lumina, Celia, and Muffy for the help," Harris said. He tipped his head and walked to his patrol car, which was parked behind the barn.

Cody and Mayor Thomas followed them to make sure Skye doesn't get away.

Celia and Muffy ushered Claire inside the house and Lumina locked the door tightly.

"Well, that was an event," Lumina commented, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Did I really betray him?" Claire asked. She walked to the couch and hugged her knees. "I-I did, didn't I?"

Muffy sat beside her and hugged the frail girl. "Of course not. You only did what was right."

"Muffy's right, Claire. It's been a long day, let's go to sleep. We're crashing, by the way." Celia said with a smile.

They went to Claire's bedroom. Lumina was the last one to go in. She turned the lights in the living room off and followed the trio.

"_Watch out, Claire. I will be back."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **There you go! Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it! It was quite intense. I hope I pulled it off.

Sorry for the errors. Please do correct me.

I'm sorry if you're a fan of Skye. I adore him. I really do. But I adore the little blacksmith much more. (winks)

**Apples Parachute: **Thank you for reading and reviewing!

I really hope you liked it.

Please leave a review!

Thank you!

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hullo! Sorry for the late update!

Oh, uhm, maybe you'd like to read an original work? Please try my original story, My Girlfriend Is a Zombie. It can be found on Fictionpress. Same pen name. The link's on my profile. Thanks.

Word count: 2, 283

So, without further ado, here's the third chapter of Rugged Boy!

* * *

><p>Rugged Boy<p>

By TheMaskedGirl

**Spring 30**

_7:30am_

The last few days of the season passed by uneventfully. Claire did her job without much passion.

"Good morning, chickens," she said. She dumped a pack of bird feed on their still-full container.

She trekked to the barn and took out her brush. "Hey, cows and sheep." She brushed her cows and sheep. She placed fodder in their container and left, not even bothering to milk or shear them.

After her chores, she went straight to her tiny house. She sat in her couch and hugged her knees to her chest.

_9:00am_

**Knock! Knock!**

Claire was knocked out of her reverie literally when two knocks resounded. She carried herself to the door and opened it.

A man with a rather dark tan and painstakingly good looks stood in front of the farmer. A purple bandanna was tied around his head, covering his brown locks. He wore a brown polo with a ¾ length sleeve over a white shirt, purple pants, and black boot-like shoes. He grinned at the blonde farmer, showing his dimples. His big brown eyes looked at her, seeing through her soul. "Claire!" he exclaimed and engulfed him in a bear hug.

"Kai," Claire said, her voice hoarse from crying. She hugged him back.

Kai broke the hug and held the girl at arm's length. He examined the farmer and said, "You look horrible!"

Claire rolled her eyes. "And you look great, Kai. Come in."

_9:27am_

"Really? He did that to you?" Kai asked incredulously.

The farmer, who was sitting beside him on the couch, nodded. Her eyes were red and puffy again.

"Who caught him?"

She leaned on him. "We called the city police. Harris, do you know him? He was there. Apparently, Skye was also making trouble in Mineral Town. Harris wanted to catch him so he was the one who came here. The mayor of Mineral Town also came here. All the residents, except the children, were here, too."

"Goddess, I can't believe it," he said and ran a hand through his brown curls. His bandanna was lying on the table, forgotten.

"I can't believe it either. And to think he cheated on me with my three best friends!" she said angrily.

"How are they?" Kai asked and put an arm around her.

"Who?"

"Your friends?"

Claire shrugged. "They're fine. Lumina and Celia said they only had a crush on Skye. Muffy, on the other hand, was smitten with him. But not as smitten as me. She cried for a few days, but that's it. She's fine now," she explained. "Enough about me. How are you? Why are you here so early?" she asked and tilted her head to face her friend.

"Silly Claire. It's already the thirtieth of Spring!" Kai said and raised a brow.

"Thirty? Oh my goddess, I've been moping for," she did a quick calculation, "eight days!"

He grimaced. "Damn, Claire. Is that why your farm is such a mess?"

Claire furrowed her eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean?"

Kai shook his head once more and tugged at Claire's arm. "I'll show you."

He walked to the door and opened it widely. He stepped out and with a sweep of his arm, said, "Your farm."

Claire gasped, then her eyes rolled and she fell. Kai caught her before she hit the ground, all the while shouting, "Claire! Claire! Oh, my goddess! Claire!"

_10:15am_

"Sorry to bother you, doc," Kai apologized. He scratched his bandanna-clad head. How he managed to wear his bandanna while carrying Claire with both hands was a mystery.

"Nonsense. It's my job, my duty, my passion, my vocation to help those in need! I may be old, but I've still got bones," Doctor Hardy grunted. "Don't underestimate me."

Kai gulped. "W-what I mean to say is-"

"Yes, yes. I got what you're trying to say," said the old man. His mechanical right eye glinted, creeping the other man out.

"S-so, what's up with her?" Kai asked and looked at Claire.

She was lying in the clinic bed, pale but alive. She was breathing slowly. Her hair was spread out in the pillow, like a golden halo.

"She was depressed, boy. No, she _is_ depressed. She also hasn't eaten anything for days. Look at her, all bones," the doctor said. He removed the disc-looking thing from his head and wiped it with a striped handkerchief.

"I see," Kai said, a worried look on his face.

"I reckon you two are very close. Help her recover, boy. Take care of her. If she refuses to eat, force her. But of course, don't make her eat too much. That would upset her stomach. Got it?" the doctor asked. His mechanical eye glinted again.

Kai had no choice but to agree. He was greatly intimidated by the old doctor. Claire was a very close friend of his too. She's his best friend, in fact. "Yes, sir-uh, doc."

"Help her manage the farm too," he added.

Kai nodded. "Okay. Uh, how much does this cost?"

The doctor looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The examination, the medicine," said Kai.

Hardy shook his head. "Don't bother."

"But-"

"You don't need to pay. Claire's a very special girl. She's like my granddaughter. She'd bring me all sorts of grasses and herbs, you know? When I was sick, she took care of me. She's a sweet girl," the doctor said, more to himself than Kai.

"I-I see. Thanks, Doc Hardy," Kai said. He carried Claire bridal style to bring her back to her farm.

"You're welcome, Kai. Take care of Claire and yourself, of course."

_5:30pm_

Claire awoke to the smell of good food. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and stood up from her bed. The bed creaked in response. She stretched and walked out of her small room and followed the smell of the food.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Kai greeted. He was sitting on her couch, watching television.

"Kai! You're still here!" Claire exclaimed, surprised to see the man.

"Yeah, you fainted on me," he answered, his eyes glued to the screen.

"What are you watching?" she asked and sat beside him on the couch.

"A cooking show. I didn't know you got cable already," Kai said with a chuckle. "You hungry? I cooked something for my best lady friend."

Claire grinned. "So that's what I smelled. Yes, I'm hungry. I'm very hungry, actually."

Kai turned the TV off and pulled her to the dining table where a feast was laid. They sat down and Claire started wolfing down the spaghetti.

"Woah, slow down," Kai said and laughed loudly.

"Maym hamgray," Claire answered, her mouth full.

He cringed at her and said, "That is so unladylike, Claire."

She swallowed the food and answered, "And I'm not one, so I don't think it matters. I need something to drink." She looked at him and batted her eyes.

"Brat," he mumbled and stood up to get her some water.

"I heard that!"

**Summer 1**

_7:30am_

Claire once again awoke to the smell of food. She dashed out to the dining room and sat on a chair. Her strength was back, thanks to Kai's great food. She was still heartbroken and depressed, but she was trying very hard to hide it from her friend.

"Good morning, Kai!" she greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning, Claire," he greeted back. He set a plate in front of the hungry girl. "Breakfast is served."

Kai sat down on the chair situated on the other side of the square table and placed a plate with less food in front of him. "Blueberry pancakes, your favorite," he said.

"Thanks, Kai," she said sincerely.

"You're welcome, Claire-dear," he said with a wink.

"Oh, Goddess, thank you for the food that you have given to us," Claire prayed.

"Dig in!"

They ate the pancakes, savoring the blueberry-y taste. They made an agreement that Kai would be living in Claire's small house for the whole season. In return, Kai would cook food for her.

"So what are your plans for today?" Claire asked her gorgeous companion.

He swallowed the food he was chewing and said, "I'm going to help you 'round the farm, cook lunch, help you 'round the farm, cook dinner, and sleep."

She rolled her eyes. "You don't need to help me. I'm quite capable, you know."

"Yeah, right. The last thing I need is a blonde farmer on a clinic bed." Kai stuck out his tongue and continued eating his pancakes.

"I've been farming for a year and a season now, Kai."

"I promised Doc Hardy. Though, even if he didn't tell me, I'll still help you."

"But-"

"I will help you, whether you like it or not," Kai said sternly.

"What about your shack?" Claire was intent on doing her farm work on her own.

"Hey, it's not as if I'm going to help you for the whole season. Just for a week or two," he assured her.

Claire sighed. "Fine."

_8:27am_

"Good morning-oh, Goddess!" A shocking sight greeted Claire and Kai.

The coop was a mess. Eggs were scattered around. Some of the shells of the eggs were broken, but some were still in good condition. Bird feed was all over the floor because the container was overflowing.

"Oh, my Goddess, Claire. What happened to your coop?" Kai asked, dumbfounded. Last time he checked, Claire was a neat person

Claire bit her lip, trying her hardest not to cry. "I got distracted. I didn't take care of them properly. Oh, Goddess. I hate myself."

Kai placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Claire, you were depressed. It's not your fault. I'm sure your animals understand you."

She knelt down and picked up the chicken who was pecking on her shoes. "Corchy," she said and hugged the beautiful but dirty chicken.

"And I'm here to help!" Kai exclaimed.

Claire smiled. "Thank you. Let's get to work then."

Three and a half hours later, the coop was clean, the chickens were clean, the good eggs were in crates, neatly stacked inside the shipping bin, and the farmer and traveler were exhausted.

"Goddess, we stink," Kai complained.

"And I'm so tired," the blonde farmer added.

They were sitting underneath the blooming peach tree, trying to relax.

"My muscles are sore," Kai whined. "I've never felt like this even if I've got lot of customers in my restaurant."

Claire nodded in agreement. "It's tiring, isn't it?"

"I can't believe you were able to these alone for a year and a quarter," Kai said, amazed.

Claire shrugged. "It must run in the blood. Besides, I bathe my animals every other day. So it's not that hard since they're not that dirty."

They were silent for a while until Claire's stomach grumbled loudly.

Kai laughed out loud while Claire blushed like a tomato. "Shut it, Kai," she said, embarrassed.

He stood up, still laughing, and offered his hand to Claire. She took it and he pulled her up. "I'm going to cook lunch," he said, a big grin on his handsome face. "On the other hand, go to the barn and check on your animals."

"Are you telling me what to do?" Claire asked, brows raised, and hands on her tiny hips.

Kai copied her actions and mocked, "What if I am?"

The two laughed and went their separate ways: the brunet traveler to the farmhouse and the blonde farmer to the barn.

The situation of the barn was less horrific. Claire started with bathing her filthy animals. A few minutes later, the door of the barn slammed open. A hysterical Kai walked inside the barn to Claire. He proceeded to holding her shoulders and shaking her.

"What's wrong, Kai?" she asked her friend. "And stop shaking me."

"It's the first of Summer, Claire," he said. His beautiful brown eyes sparkled with worry.

"And?" Claire asked, still not getting it.

"First of Summer, Beach Opening Day, eat-all-you-can feast?"

The blonde farmer's hands flew to her mouth, flabbergasted. "Oh, my goddess. What time is it?"

The olive-skinned traveler checked his watch. "Ten minutes after eleven."

Claire bit her lip and thought for a bit. Then, her eyes twinkled. She grinned and rubbed her palms together. "We still have time."

_1:50pm_

"We thought you'd never come!" Rock complained.

Ruby whacked him in the head. "Stop complaining, Rock. Go and help them!"

Rock groaned and walked to Claire and Kai. Claire was holding two baskets, one in each hand, while Kai was carrying two baskets in each hand. He grabbed two baskets from Kai and placed it beside the shack.

"Thanks, Rock," Kai said. He dropped the other two baskets and helped Claire with hers. "Where are the others?"

Rock shrugged. "They said they'd be back at two in the afternoon. They got bored waiting for you. What took you so long anyway?"

Claire smiled at them apologetically. "Sorry about that. Kai was helping me around the farm and we forgot about the festival today," she explained.

Rock shrugged again. "Figures."

"Rock, dear, please help us," Ruby said.

She was setting the tables in the beach and Kai was setting up his shack.

Rock groaned. Claire grinned. "Let's go, Rocky."

_7:00pm_

"That was fun!" Claire said and sat down on the couch contentedly.

Kai was sprawled on the wooden floor, groaning. "Yeah, because all you did was eat."

Claire snorted. "As if. I only ate one plate. That's so unfair."

"Like I said, you're not allowed to eat a lot. You have to adjust to it first."

She sighed. "Fiiiiine. If you say so. Do you want me to cook dinner for you?" She stood from the couch and went to the kitchen, not bothering to wait for his answer.

"Thanks! Don't poison me!" he said. He heard her say, "I'll try." He chuckled softly. He moved from the floor to the couch. Kai loved his friend, but he's a bit worried about her cooking his food.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **There you go! I believe in the saying that, "It's not a Graire fanfic without Kai." Haha. I love Kai. I can't help it. But not more than our precious little blacksmith. Haha!

I'm sorry for the errors!

**CrimsonButterfly07:** Thank you!

**Jazz: **I feel so special. Haha. Thanks!

**Apples Parachute: **Thank you!

**Ancient Liddel: **Thank you!

**Krosec13: **Thank you!

See you on the next chapter!

Please leave a review! Thank you!

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand, I'm back! I'm really sorry for not being able to update for sooooooooo long. I'm really sorry!

We're leaving FMN Valley now. I hope you like this chapter. I did. Our dearest heroine will finally meet our dearest hero! Yey! I was supposed to say something, but I forgot what it is, so never mind. Hee.

Word count: 2299

So, without further ado, here's Chapter 4 of Rugged Boy!

* * *

><p>Rugged Boy<p>

By TheMaskedGirl

**Fall 8**

Summer had come and gone. Kai had to leave again to tend to his restaurant in Mineral Town. Claire reverted back to her old self. She had cried to sleep every night ever since the boy left. She realized that she was alone. Her best friends had moved on. Lumina had Rock, Muffy had Griffin, and Celia got engaged to a businessman from the city. The other bachelorettes in town, Flora and Nami, have gotten married to Carter and Gustafa respectively. Marlin was single, but he's got his sister, Vesta. While she... she was alone.

In Forget-Me-Not Valley, she has no one. Everyone else has someone who loves them. Even Takakura, the old man, has a daughter who will come to help on the farm in a few days. Her only relative, her brother, was in Mineral Town. She couldn't leave the farm to go to him...

The blonde suddenly shot out of bed. She dried her tears and clumsily walked to the calendar, tripping on her discarded shoes.

She cast a quick glance at the wall clock which read: _4:00am_.

"Takakura's daughter is coming today!" she exclaimed. Her mind started to race. A plan was formed.

_9:48am_

It was settled. She was leaving the farm to Takakura and his daughter. She trusted Takakura, he wouldn't let the farm crumble to ruins. Her animals, which she loved dearly, will be shipped to her brother's farm. She was leaving for Mineral Town in a few days.

"Are you sure about this, Claire?" Takakura asked for the fifteenth time.

The ex-farmer grinned. "I've never been surer. Besides, I know you and your daughter will take care of the farm very well."

He smiled. Claire knew what she was getting into. She was a smart girl. "If that is so. When are you leaving?"

They were standing beside the windmill, the same place Claire waited for Skye seasons ago. But she didn't notice this. "On the thirteenth," she answered. She looked at the entrance and the exit of the valley, looking for the brunette that was Takakura's daughter. They've never met before, but she's got a feeling that she was nice.

A few minutes later, a brunette pulling two suitcases came into view. Her brown mane was tied in her signature ponytail and her periwinkle eyes twinkled with delight. She let go of her bags and hugged her father. "Oh, daddy! I missed you, too."

"I missed you, too, Jill," he replied softly.

Claire stood in the corner and observed the father and child. Her heart ached with longing for her dead parents. She made the right decision to leave. She needed her brother.

"Jill, meet Claire. She's the owner of the farm," Takakura said.

Claire smiled. "Hey. Take care of my farm well, Jill."

"What do you mean?" Jill asked, her eyes twinkling with deep curiosity. Her father never told her she would be owning a farm of her own.

"I'm leaving," was Claire's brief reply.

**Fall 13**

_10:00am_

"Got it?" Claire asked.

Jill nodded. "Yep."

The blonde sighed with relief. "Good, good. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me. You've already got my brother's telephone number on your phone, right?"

"Yes." Jill was the only one in Forget-Me-Not Valley who had a cellphone.

It was the day of Claire's departure and she was panicking. It wasn't because she didn't trust Jill and Takakura. She was just worried.

"Are you sure I can live without my animals?" she asked again. Her animals, together with March and Cindy, were already in Mineral Town. Some dude with long orange-y hair from Mineral Town picked them up.

"Yes. If I really need animals, I can buy them. I've earned enough money in the city to buy me tons of cows," Jill replied. They've had this conversation for five times already.

"Tools?"

"I bought a hoe, sickle, watering can, hammer, and an axe in the city," Jill answered, just for the sake of humoring her.

"Seeds?"

"Dad bought from Vesta."

"How about-"  
>"Claire, calm down," Jill instructed. She pushed the blonde down to make her sit on the couch. She went to the kitchen, grabbed a glass and filled it with water from her fridge, and shoved it into Claire's tiny hands. "We've been through this for five times already."<p>

"Really?" Her eyes widened.

"Really." Jill's lips curved into an amused grin. "I can handle it, I promise. I'll take care of your farm."

Claire took a big gulp of water then placed it in the table. She massaged her temples and said, "I know, but I can't help but feel nervous."

"That's normal, but it's not anymore if you react too much." She sat beside the blonde and

"I got it. Thanks."

_1:57pm_

"Goodbye, Claire. We're going to miss you terribly," a crying Lumina said.

"Don't forget to send us letters and call us from time to time. Promise us you'll come back?" Muffy asked, her face streaked with tears.  
>"Take care of yourself, Claire. Don't forget to eat and don't work too hard," Celia reminded the ex-farmer. However timid the brunette was, she was the most responsible and motherly between the four of them.<p>

"I'm going to miss you, too," Claire said, her tears flowing freely. She gave each girl a tight hug. "I promise, I'll visit every season. And I'll send you letters and I'll call you. I love you, gals. Don't stress yourselves, alright? And please welcome Jill. She's a darling." And then in a soft whisper, she added, "Help her with Marlin. They would look good together."

Despite their tears, they all laughed heartily. "You're leaving and yet you're still playing matchmaker. Oh, Claire, we love you so much," Celia said.

"Goodbye?" Claire asked.

Muffy shook her head. "No. We'll see each other again."

The ex-farmer nodded and hugged each girl again. "See you soon, then." She waved goodbye and pulled her suitcases.

Takakura and Jill were standing a few feet from the exit of the valley. Claire let go of her suitcases and hugged the man and his daughter. "Thanks for supporting me, Takakura. Take care. You too, Jill. Work hard, but not too much. Call me if anything happens?"

Jill nodded. "Yes, of course. Thanks for trusting me, Claire. Call us once you're in Mineral Town."

Takakura, who rarely had any emotion, was trying to suppress his tears. "Good luck, Claire. We won't forget you."

"I won't either. And please do me a favor, Jill? Doctor Hardy, you've probably met him. If he needs help, please do help him. He's like a father to me."

Jill nodded. "Of course. I'll take care of him like I'll take care of dad," she promised.

"Thank you." Claire was about to exit the valley when a familiar voice shouted, "Wait!"

She turned and saw Dr. Hardy running, holding a large bag. When he reached her, he was panting hard. "I thought I wouldn't be able to catch you before you leave," he said in between pants.

She smiled. "I thought you wouldn't say goodbye."

The doctor with the cyber eye laughed. "You're like a daughter to me, Claire. Alright, I ain't going to make this cheesy at all. Ya take this bag, ya hear me? Full of medicine. They've got labels and all that. Just call me if ya run out of these and I'll ship more to you."

She hugged the doctor tightly. "Oh, doc, thank you so much. Thank you. I promise I'll take care of myself. But promise me you won't overwork yourself ever again."

"Ya do that. And I promise. Ya won't be here to take care of me anymore. Call me, girl. I won't forgive ya if ya don't. Now, go. I don't want to cry in front of ya," he grunted.

Claire hugged him one last time and said, "Thank you, _dad_."

The old man grinned, appreciating her gesture.

The whole town was there and they all bade her goodbye. She waved at them one last time and left the valley.

_5:00pm_

Claire settled into the hotel bed. It was comfortable enough for a cheap hotel and a cheap room. True, she had enough money to last ten days in the most luxurious room of a five-star hotel, but she didn't want to use up all her money for excessive comfort. The room was not dingy, it was actually very clean and well maintained. The same goes with the bathroom. It was small, yes, but cosy. Just like her home in Forget-Me-Not Valley. She sighed longingly.

She shook her head. "No, I made the right decision. Moving would help me move on," she told herself.

She realized she was talking to herself. She snorted. "I must be crazy." She kicked off her runners and went to the bathroom to take a shower to relieve herself from the stress.

_9:00am_

"Shit, I'm late," a certain blonde ex-farmer cursed as she grabbed her rucksack from the bed and pulled her suitcases. She checked the room to see if she left anything. Nope. Everything was in her bag. She left the room hurriedly to go to the pier. Her ferry, the one that would bring her to Mineral Town, would leave at ten.

Thirty-eight minutes later, she was sitting on the bench, waiting for the ferry to arrive. It arrived some minutes later. The passengers, or rather, the passenger, got off the ferry. He was an odd lad. He wasn't carrying anything other than a small rucksack. Claire didn't see his eyes for it was covered by his hat. It was blue and it had the words UMA on it. But she did see that he was frowning. He wore a dark blue shirt and black denim pants.

She stood up from the bench and approached the man. She had time to spare before the ferry departs and she was curious as to why he looked as if the world had shunned him.

"Hello," she said.

He looked up, surprised, but he looked down immediately. He wasn't expecting anyone to talk to him. "What?" he asked gruffly.

When he glanced up, she saw his eyes. They were a pretty shade of blue, lighter than her own, just like the sky. They were hypnotizing, those eyes. She offered him a smile, though she couldn't see the blue orbs anymore. "Hello," she repeated.

"Hi," he replied in his deep voice. He surprised himself when he said hi back. It was highly unusual of him.

"Did you come from-," she stopped mid-sentence when the operator of the ferry shouted, "Passengers of the Pearl of Mineral, voyage to Mineral Town, all aboard!"

She grinned sheepishly. "That's my call. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Blue Eyes. Bye!" She waved goodbye and pulled her suitcases to the ferry.

He looked at her, a brow raised, and then shrugged his shoulder and went his way.

Claire tried to put her baggage up the ferry, but they were too heavy. She frowned. "Damn bags. I can carry a hammer and mine all night long, but I can't carry my damn bags?" she said to no one in particular.

She heard a deep chuckle from behind her. She looked back and saw a man with black hair and a white coat. There was also a weird-looking disc around his head, like Dr. Hardy's. _He's probably a doctor_, Claire thought.

"Don't curse your bags," he said. "Here, let me help you." He hauled her two suitcases into the ferry without breaking a sweat. He then helped her board the ferry and followed suit. They were ready to go, but the operator was nowhere to be seen.

"Thanks. But where's the-," Claire started when the burly man wearing a wife beater appeared in front of them holding potpourri flowers.

"Sorry, I'm late. I had to buy some flowers," he explained.

The man beside Claire said, "It's alright. To whom are you giving those?"

The operator blushed. "N-no one i-in particular," he answered nervously.

He let it go. "Alright," he said.

The operator grinned at Claire. "Hi, miss. The name's Zack. Are you Jack's younger sis?"

She grinned at him. "Yes. I'm Claire," she said and shook his hand.

"We'll arrive there in three hours," Zack said, "Nice meeting you, Claire. See you. You too, doc."

_So he is a doctor_, Claire thought. _Or his name is Doc._

Zack went to the engine control room to start their short cruise.

"I'm afraid I haven't introduced myself yet," Doc said. "My name is Tim. I'm the doctor of Mineral Town."

_Oh, so I am right. I'm right. Oh, goddess. I am _so _good. _"I'm Claire," she said and shook his hand. "Old owner of the farm in Forget-Me-Not Valley, Sunlight Farm."

Tim looked at her, surprised. "You mean, _the _Sunlight Farm?"

Claire tried to suppress her grin. "Yeah."

"I love your milk!" he exclaimed.

Claire raised a brow.

"The milk from your cows," he said, "Are delicious. And your corn and pineapples. They taste very lovely. But the Supermarket in my town stopped selling your milk last Spring. Thankfully, they started to sell it again last Summer."

The blonde nodded. "I had a problem last Spring. But brother's products, do they sell?"

Tim nodded. "Yes, but I usually don't get to buy any. He's very popular with the ladies from neighboring towns. They would pay a really large amount of money just to get one of his farm produce."

She giggled. "That's my brother." She was already starting to like the doctor. She had a feeling they were going to be great friends.

The ferry started to move. Perhaps moving to Mineral Town wasn't such a bad idea. Starting a new life there would help her discover herself. She smiled. _I'm ready._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Sooo, how was it? And did you squeal when you read what our dearest hero was wearing? Because when I was writing it, I did. Holy cow. Yum!_  
><em>

I was supposed to name Doctor Doc. Okay. Let's do that again. I was supposed to give the doctor the name Doc. Because it sounded cool. Doctor Doc. Hahahaha. Okay.

Sooo, pretty please leave a review and make me happy?

Btw, I love Korean dramas. Like asdfghjkl. Simply awesome. Eeeeh. I love Kim Soo Hyun! Eeeeh.

Oh, and Confident Claire is absolutely adorable. Eeeeh!

Okay. See you!

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Shortest chapter! Sorry. I've been really busy with school. Sorry for the short but quick update! Finally though, we're moving somewhere! I hope you like it!

By the way, guys, can you help me with the cover art? Please?

Word count: 736 (really short. Sorry.)

So, without further ado, here's Chapter 5 of Rugged Boy!

* * *

><p>Rugged Boy<p>

By TheMaskedGirl

**Fall 14**

Traveling made Claire weary and bored. She and the doctor talked for three hours until he had to excuse himself and do some paperwork. She had no other choice but to go to her cabin and stay there for goddess knows how long.

"This is so boring. Why is Mineral Town so far?" she complained. She sat on the lower bunk bed and sighed. She banged her head on the wall and groaned in pain. "Stupid Claire," she muttered.

Someone knocked on her door. She stood up and opened it. Muscle Man stood outside her door, grinning widely. _Maybe I should just call him Killer Smile? I swear, that smile can kill._ "Yes, Ki-er, I mean, Mr. Zack?"

He crossed his arms and said, "Dinner is ready, milady. I'll direct you to the dining room."

"Thanks."

_7:00pm_

"This is really good!" Claire exclaimed.

Zack grinned, although he was already grinning the moment Claire met him. "Thanks, though I just reheated those. The credit goes to my good ol' friend. He packed some for me for the passengers. He told me someone special might be on board."

"The traveler?" the doctor asked.

"Yep. The one and only Kai," he replied.

Claire dropped her fork and it clanged on her plate. "Kai? Kai is there? Right now?"

**Fall 15**

_7:30am_

"Are we there yet?" Claire asked. She was in the pilothouse and she was having the time of her life disturbing Zack.

"Nope."

_7:35am_

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

_7:40am_

"Are we there yet?"

"Not yet."

_7:55am_

"Are we there yet?" she asked.

Zack growled. "For the sixth time, no!"

She gulped. _Mad Muscle Man is scary. Oh, goddess, what if he kills with that big smile of his? _"S-sorry."

He shrugged. "S'okay, just don't ask me again, please. I'll tell you when we're near the town."

"Okay!" Claire abandoned her seat beside the ship's wheel and Zack and walked around the room curiously. "This room is cool. Why do you have a cot here?"

"So that I can rest when I'm tired," he answered. "I can't leave the wheel unattended."

"Then who was steering when we were eating yesterday?"

"It was on autopilot," he said.

"Oh. Can I try steering the wheel?" she asked. She walked to Zack. "Please?"

Zack shook his head. "No."

"I'm a great horseback rider," she said, trying to bribe him. "You can rest for a while and leave the steering to me."

He sighed. "Please, Miss Claire. You can't steer. You're not licensed to drive a ship."

She pouted. "That sucks." She looked around the room. There were mechanical stuff around. She spotted something familiar. "Hey, is this a compass?"

_9:00am_

"Doctor Tiiiim!" Claire screamed and burst into the men's cabin, startling the doctor.

He raised a brow at her. "Yes, Claire?"

"Killer Smile said we'd be docking in around twenty minutes! Twenty minutes!" she said excitedly.

The usually poker-faced doctor cracked a smile. "Killer Smile? And you seem so excited."

She nodded. "Yup! Like I told you, I'm going to start a new life there!"

He smiled a centimeter wider. "That's good. Just remember to take care of yourself. You don't want to faint because of over fatigue, do you?"

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Nope! Doctor, you're going to be a great husband and father someday."

He chuckled softly. "Thanks, Claire."

_9:24am_

True to his word, they docked twenty minutes after. Claire happily left the ferry and jumped to her big brother's open arms. "Jack! I missed you so much!"

He laughed and ruffled the blonde's hair. "I missed you so much too. You've grown a millimeter!" he joked.

She giggled. "I think so too. But, goddess, Jack, I really missed you."

He hugged his sister again. "Me too. But before I ask you about your life, the townsfolk would like to welcome you."

She looked behind her brother and saw a horde of people standing on the beach. Two kids looked at her curiously. The girl smiled at her shyly while the boy looked at her confidently. She waved. "Hello!"

A pudgy man wearing a red suit and a matching red hat cleared his throat and stepped forward. "I believe we've met already, Miss Claire. But I'd like to introduce myself again. I'm Thomas, the mayor of this town. And welcome to Mineral Town, your new home."

Claire smiled. "Thank you." _I _am _home._

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><p><strong>AN: **Sorry it's short! But I hope you like it! Please leave a review! Pretty please with Gray on top? Thank you!

See you soon!

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Hello! Sorry for this late update. But here's the sixth chapter!

If there are some corrections, I'm really sorry. I hope you enjoy reading this!

Word count: 1755

So, without further ado, here's Chapter 6!

* * *

><p>Pretty Boy<p>

by TheMaskedGirl

"Claire, I'll just get your bags," Jack said and ran off to the ferry.  
>The townsfolk crowded around her and introduced themselves all at once.<br>"Hi, pretty lady. My name is Stu. Do you like bugs?"  
>"May the goddess bless you with love, health, and guidance. My name is Carter. If you need someone to talk to, I am ready to listen. If you have questions about life, about your existence, I am more than ready to teach you."<br>"Oh, hello. You look so pretty. You look just like my daughter except she has black hair like me. My, my. You look so small, but I have a feeling you're pretty strong. Oh, you have to come to our daily talks in the square. Anna and Sasha will be there too. Lillia used to come, but she got sick. By the way, have I told you your hair looks really nice? Oh, dear. I forgot my manners again. I'm Manna."  
>"My name is Doug. Please come by our inn."<br>"Hello, Miss Claire. It's nice to meet you. I am Basil. Mary told me a lot about you."  
>"If you're ready, see you at the inn at nine in the evening. I'll give you free wine if you can drink more than me. I'm Duke, by the way."<br>"Miss Claire, my name is May. Would you like to play with me?"  
>"May, darling. The kind lady might be busy. Oh, I'm Barley. I'm in charge of the Yodel Farm."<br>Claire's head started to spin from all the noise the villagers were making. They were being friendly, but it did no good to Claire who was tired from the journey. None of the villagers noticed this though for they continued what they were doing.  
>"Hmph. I'm Saibara. You look like a fine lass."<br>"We've met before. I'm Harris."  
>"My name is Sasha. Please come to the Supermarket. And please teach my daughter how to cook."<br>"Uhm... My name is Jeff... Ooh, my stomach. P-please help me."  
>"Hoho. Need anything built? You Gotz it! Hahaha. That was funny, wasn't it? The name's Gotz. I'm the village's carpenter."<br>It was too much for the blonde. She lost consciousness and fell into the tanned arms of a young man.  
>A young man named Kai.<br>_9:55am_  
>"Claire, are you awake?"<br>She was in a soft bed and the room was warm. She heard voices, lots of voices, and most were unfamiliar. But two voices stood out, two voices she knew very well.  
>She opened her eyes, but the bright blinded her forcing her to close them. The crowd hushed when she opened her eyes.<br>After a moment of silence, Jack spoke, "Claire, are you okay?"  
>She opened her eyes again, bit by bit until she got accustomed to the light. She smiled at her brother. "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry for fainting on you like that."<br>"What happened anyway?" her brother asked again, the visitors behind him forgotten.  
>"Have you been eating properly, Claire?"<br>She looked behind her brother and saw her dear friend Kai. She shot out of bed and tackled him into a hug. "Kai!"  
>The tan man laughed and hugged her back. "Hello, Claire. I missed you too."<br>Jack pouted. "You weren't that excited when you saw me."  
>Kai smirked. "I can't help it if I'm that hot."<br>Claire rolled her eyes and hit him lightly on the head. "You're so full of yourself, Kai. But no, I haven't been eating properly since you left," she said honestly and she sat back down on the bed.  
>Jack raised his brow. "What are you talking about?"<br>"Yeah, what are you talking about?" a young woman with fiery red hair tied in a tight braid and wearing a jumpsuit asked pointedly.  
>Kai and Jack looked at her and the others who were lounging in the room and laughed sheepishly. "Oops, we forgot you were there," the former said.<br>The redhead rolled her eyes. "How can anyone forget I'm here?" Then she looked at Claire and flashed a big, genuine smile. "Hi. My name is Ann."  
>The other girls stepped forward and introduced themselves.<br>"Hiii! I'm Popuri! It's really nice to meet you!" the one with pink hair said.  
>"Hello, I'm Elli," a girl with a pixie cut hairstyle said.<br>A brunette whose hair was dip-dyed blonde flipped her hair and said, "Karen, the best drinked in this town. But yeah, it's really nice to meet you."  
>And lastly, a timid young woman with black hair in a loose braid and who wore thick-rimmed glasses said, "It's nice to see you again, Claire."<br>Claire smiled at her in recognition. "Mary!" She stood up from the bed and gave the girl a hug. She turned to others and smiled. "It's nice to meet you too. I hope we can be great friends."  
>Ann nodded energetically. "Of course! I can't wait for you to get settled down. I'm going to show you the whole town!"<br>Jack chuckled. "But before that, I need to talk to my sister first."  
>"Of course, of course. Swing by at the Supermarket if you want to hang-out, Claire," Karen said and smiled at her.<br>The others waved goodbye. "Don't forget to come to the hospital if you feel sick!" Elli reminded her.  
>"Come to the poultry farm if you want to play!" said Popuri.<br>"I'll be at the inn!" Ann announced.  
>"And you can always find me in the library," Mary said softly.<br>Jack pecked Mary's cheek before she went out. The others followed her and soon, only Claire and the two men were left in the house.  
>Claire feigned a frown and lay down on the bed. "I'm so tired. I need to sleep," she said.<br>Jack pulled her into a sitting position and glared at her. "No. Explain first."  
>She bit her lip and laughed nervously.<br>Kai stood up and inched his way to the door. He held the knob, but was stopped by the brunet. "Kai, you're staying. Sit down." He sighed and sat back down on the chair he previously occupied.  
>Jack's gaze on his sister softened. "Tell me what happened," he said softly.<br>Claire smiled sadly. "I never told you this, but I have-well, had a boyfriend."  
>The boy farmer maintained his cool demeanor. "Continue. I want to listen to you first before I scold you."<br>She started playing with her long mane and said, "He was wonderful. He was sweet and charming and beautiful. He was almost perfect. I didn't even care that he was a thief." Jack's eyebrows rose when she mentioned her ex-boyfriend's profession. "I loved him. But he had one flaw. And this flaw ruined our relationship." Claire's eyes filled with tears as she whispered, "He's a lying cheat."  
>Her brother glared at the ceiling. That man hurt his precious sister!<br>"He cheated on me with my best friends! I saw him kissing one of them, but I let it slip. But it happened again and I couldn't take it anymore." Claire wasn't weak anymore. She held her face high, the tears refusing to fall. "So I turned him in to the cops. I turned Skye in."  
>"Good. Let him suffer," he hissed. He felt the monster inside him rage. He wanted to see this bastard who hurt his sister and beat him into a bloody pulp. He turned to Kai. "What about you? What's your part in this?"<br>Kai was nervous. He had never seen Jack so angry. "Claire... fell into depression."  
>"And?"<br>"I took care of her."  
>"And?"<br>"I lived with her."  
>*10:08am*<br>The door slammed in Kai's face. "I didn't sleep with her!" he shouted. "I swear to the goddess, I didn't even touch her!"  
>The door opened and Jack's head popped out. He glared at the tan man. "You. Lived. With. Her."<br>"It wasn't his idea," Claire chided. She opened the door and pushed her brother aside. She beckoned Kai to get inside. "I asked him to."  
>He hesitantly went in, eyeing the angry man.<br>Jack closed his eyes and counted one to ten in his mind. He opened his eyes and said, "Sorry, Kai. I just don't like the idea of my little sister living with a man."  
>Kai nodded in understanding. "No problem, man."<br>Jack sat down on the couch and Claire sat beside him. Kai occupied the single couch near Claire's side. Though Jack had calmed down, he was still a bit scared.  
>"How did you end up in her house?" Jack asked.<br>"I visited her when I came back to Forget-Me-Not Valley. Then she fainted when she saw me. Apparently, it was because she was starving herself."  
>"You were what?!" Jack exploded and shot up from his seat. He started pacing around the living room.<br>Claire rubbed her temples. "Jack, sit down. And I wasn't starving myself."  
>Kai snorted. "Please. If you don't call that starving, then jumping off a cliff a thousand feet from the ground without a parachute or anything isn't suicide."<br>"Claire Summer Willocks, you are grounded!" Jack shouted.  
>Claire stood on the couch and shouted back, "You can't ground me, Jack. I'm twenty years old!"<br>He stopped his pacing and went in front of Claire.  
>"I'm twenty-three years old and I'm taller than you!"<br>"Usually, but I'm taller than you now!"  
>"Stop!" Kai shouted and stood in the middle of Jack and Claire.<br>But the siblings paid no heed to him and continued their bickering.  
>"You think you can decide for me just because you're older and you're taller?"<br>"I can because I'm your big brother!"  
>"That's stupid!"<br>Kai sighed. If he couldn't stop them through shouting, then he would have to devise a plan.  
><em>10:20am<em>  
>He went back to Jack's house holding a basket. He opened the door to find the siblings still standing where he left them. They were looking at each other in the eyes, firmly standing their ground.<br>_That's what happens when two people are as stubborn as each other. But at least they stopped shouting,_ he thought. He went to the dining room and laid the contents of the basket on the table.  
>He called out, "I bet you still haven't eaten breakfast. Come on, I brought some from my resto."<br>The scent of the food reached the siblings, but neither refused to move first. Until Jack's stomach groaned.  
>He blushed, embarrassed. He went to the dining room in defeat.<br>Claire smiled triumphantly, jumped from the couch, and happily skipped to the dining table.  
>Kai grinned. <em>I'm a genius.<em>

* * *

><p>See you soon!<p>

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Hello! It's been a while. I'm really sorry! Dear readers, I hope you're still there. Here's the seventh chapter. Sorry for the corrections. I typed this using my phone.

Word count: 1, 157

So, without further ado, here's Chapter 7 of Rugged Boy!

* * *

><p>Rugged Boy<p>

By TheMaskedGirl

"Don't think we're done talking about your boyfriend," Jack reminded her.

Claire rolled her eyes. "Ex, Jack. And no, I won't think that," she said. She cleared the plates from the table and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

"Thanks for the food, Kai," Jack said. "It was delicious."

Kai puffed his chest and grinned. "No problemo. I'm glad you liked it." He retreated to the living room and relaxed in the couch. The siblings were at peace now because of him.

_12:00nn_

"And this here's the town library. You can find all sorts of books there," Ann said. As promised, she took Claire for a tour around town. They started at the library, Ellen's house, the mayor's house, the clinic, the church, Rose Square, and then the beach (including Kai's shack and Zack's house, which was located at the beach). Then they went to Yodel Farm, the carpenter's house and shop, and then the Poultry Farm.

"Who owns that place?" Claire asked. She pointed to a large empty a lot beside the blacksmith's shop.

"Saibara, the blacksmith," Ann answered. "His father wanted him to become a farmer that's why he bought that. Saibara was supposed to turn it into a farm. But his passion doesn't lie in farming. That lot has been empty since I was born. It's a shame, really. It could have been a great farm. Jack said the land's very fertile."

"Is he selling it?" Claire asked hopefully. She could start farming again!

Ann shook her head. "No, I don't think so. If he was, then it wouldn't be empty."

Claire frowned. _What a shame,_ she thought.

"Right, let's go? It's almost lunch time. I told the bachelors to meet us at the inn," Ann said and pulled her hand towards the next destination.

"What for?" Claire asked curiously.

"So that they can introduce themselves formally," the redhead said matter-of-factly. She pulled the blonde to a house with a large orachard. "This is Aja Winery. It's open from eight in the morning until twelve noon. They sell the best wine ever and yummiest grape juice. Manna and Duke lives here," she explained quickly.

Then they went to the Inn. Ann opened the door and Claire was met with the smell of delicious food. "Oh, goddess! It smells good," she said.

Ann grinned. "You're going to have a taste of my dear father's cooking."

"Table for eleven," Ann said to no in particular. She pushed Claire to the largest table in the inn. It could fit twelve people. Claire gingerly sat on one of the chairs.

"May I take your order?" Ann asked her.

Claire smiled at her amusedly.

Ann rolled her eyes. "Don't smile at me like that. I'm the waitress here, alright?"

Claire blew her a raspberry. "I'll have whatever you think tastes great. Not too heavy, though. I just ate," she said.

"What about some apple pie? It's my dad's specialty," Ann said without missing a beat.

"Sounds good."

Ann dashed off to the door behind the counter. The inn was empty save for Claire and the small cat on the stairs. The door opened and Jack and Mary came in, holding hands. Claire looked at them making them blush.

Jack was the first to recover. "Hey, sis," he greeted. He sat down beside her and Mary beside him.

"Hey, Claire," the shy librarian said.

"Hey," she said with a grin.

The others poured in inside the inn. Karen was with a guy with long blond hair who wore odd-looking glasses. Elli came in hand in hand with Tim and Popuri was, surprisingly, with Kai.

Claire felt a small twinge in her heart when she saw them together. She knew Kai had someone in Mineral Town. That someone was the reason why he stayed in Mineral from Fall to Spring. But it still hurt.

Claire didn't like Kai that way. But he was her only friend, aside from her brother. It sounded selfish, but she wanted him for herself.

"Claire!" he greeted enthusiastically, as if they had not seen each other for months.

She faked a smile and said softly, "Hi." He sat on the other side of her.

The couples started talking. Claire felt alone again.

There were still three vacant chairs left. The door opened and a timid guy with long brown hair entered. He sat on an empty chair and greeted everyone with a shy smile. He looked down as soon as he smiled at each one of them.

Ann came out of the door she entered holding a tray in each hand. "Orange juice, everyone!" she announced. She left after serving everyone and came back as fast as she left. She served the apple pie. She left again and came back to sit down beside the shy guy.

"That was tiring!" she exclaimed. "Dig in, guys!"

"Oh, man. I just ate. Are you trying to make me fat, Ann?" Jack asked. Despite his reaction, he started eating the pie.

Ann ignored him.

Claire observed each one of them. Unlike her, they were comfortable in each other's presence. Even the shy guy wasn't acting awkwardly. Claire smiled to herself and thought, _I'm so glad I decided to come here. They are very friendly._

The blond guy said, "I'm afraid I haven't introduced my self. I am Rick, the son of Lilia and the brother of Popuri. Do you like chickens?"

Claire waited for someone to answer until she realized he was talking to her. "Uh... yes. I own seven chickens."

Rick's eyes sparkled. "That's good news!"

Kai rolled his eyes. "Rick and his chickens," he muttered.

Rick, unfortunately, heard his comment. "What is your problem?"

Kai raised a brow. "My problem? What's _your _problem?"

Everyone in the table, except for Claire and the shy guy, groaned. "Here we go again," Jack said.

Elli shook her head sadly. Karen attempted to stop her boyfriend from making a scene. Popuri was pouting and pulling Kai's hand cutely. The doctor looked at them impassively. Mary looked worried and Ann was still devouring her cake. Claire was confused.

Before the a fight could ensue, the shy guy spoke up quite loudly. "Hello, Claire. I'm Cliff."

Kai and Rick stopped glaring and bickering and returned to eating their apple pie. Claire smiled at Cliff warmly. "Hello, Cliff."

"It's a shame he isn't here," Cliff said. Apparently, they weren't used to hearing Cliff speak. They were all silent and they were all looking at him intently. "But he's coming home the day after tomorrow, I think. He said he needed some space. I think he's wrong. I think he needs someone like _you_," he said.

Claire looked at him. She was curious and confused. "What do you mean?"

Ann grinned at her. "You'll find out soon enough," she said.

Claire was about to ask some more questions when Doug exited the room behind the counter holding a tray. "How about some freshly baked cheese fondue?"

**A/N: **That's all! Please review! Thank you! See you soon!

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **I AM SO SORRY. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. 4 MONTHS. I'M SORRY.

Word count: 1, 220

Without further ado, since I've kept you up for soooooooooo long, here's Chapter 8 of Rugged Boy!

* * *

><p>Rugged Boy<p>

By TheMaskedGirl

_8:00pm_

"Did you have fun?" Jack asked his sister. They were in one of the spare rooms in Jack's house. Its walls were covered with pink floral wallpaper. A closet was on one side and a dresser beside it. A bed was situated near the window.

"Definitely," Claire said happily. "They are so warm and kind. This place so beautiful too!"

He grinned. "That's Mineral Town."

The blonde sat down on her comfortable bed. "Thank you, Jack."

He sat down beside her and put his arms around her. "No problem. And sis?"

"Yeah?"

"Welcome home."

They stayed like that for a while, Jack hugging Claire and protecting her. _Just like old times, _she thought.

Suddenly, the telephone rang. Jack broke the hug and kissed his sister's forehead. "Go to sleep. You need to rest. Good night, Claire. Big brother loves you."

She felt tears forming in her eyes. When their parents died, Jack protected her. He became her mother, father, brother, and friend. If it wasn't for Jack, Claire wouldn't be where she is. They had only parted for two years, but it already felt like forever.

"Good night, Jack. I love you too!" she said. He smiled at her and switched off the light. She closed her eyes. It had been a while since she had a tearless night.

**Fall 16**

_6:00am_

"RISE AND SHINE!" Jack greeted as he opened the curtains inside Claire's room. She just covered her head with her blanket.

He frowned. "I said, rise and shine!" He pulled her blanket away from her in an attempt to wake her up.

She shivered from the cold, but continued her sleep.

Jack sighed and walked out. A few minutes later, he came back carrying a plate filled with bacon. He placed it right under Claire's nose.

He waited.

And waited.

And waited. But he got no response. "CLAIRE SUMMER WILLOCKS, WAKE UP!" he screamed and shook her awake.

"The food doesn't smell good," she muttered, her eyes still firmly closed. "I want Kai's food. Get me some of Kai's food."

Jack's jaw dropped. How could his sister say that about the food he prepared? "Look here, missy. I woke up early to prepare some breakfast. I chose you over my poor animals that are probably hungry now. If you don't want to eat it, fine. Don't eat it. Just don't go expecting that I would cook for you again!"

He started to walk away but the blonde's hand shot up and grabbed his. "I was just joking, Jack," she said. She laughed softly.

"Jokes are half-meant," he grumbled.

She laughed again and sat up on the bed. She picked a piece of bacon and ate it. "It tastes good!"

He glared at her. "Shut up. I'm not going to buy any of your attempts to make peace!"

She rolled her eyes. "Stop trying to act mad, Jack. I know you're not."

He sat down beside her and took a piece from the plate. "But why didn't you wake up immediately, anyway? You scared me a bit you know." He frowned.

Claire smiled ruefully. "Yesterday felt unreal. It was like a dream. I didn't want to wake up because if I did, you might disappear. Mineral Town might disappear," she whispered.

Jack hugged her. "Hey! Stop being so dramatic!"

She scoffed. "You started it!"

He laughed and patted her head. "Come on, pup. This dog won't leave you." He stood up and pulled her away from the bed.

_8:15am_

"I miss my animals," Claire whined. "I want them back! I want them back."

Jack groaned. "I told you already, they're still yours."

"I want them here now!" She was lying under the apple tree while Jack slaved in the field, harvesting the sweet potatoes.

"Gotz is still expanding my barn!"

"I want to see them! Where are my pets?" Claire asked as she continued to eye her brother.

His strong arms were built for this job, but Claire knew it would take him so much time to harvest all the crops. She stood up from her spot and joined his brother in harvesting.

"They're with May," he said. "One of my cows just gave birth so my hands are full. I asked her to care for them while you were not around."

Claire sighed. She placed the sweet potato in a basket. "She lives in Yodel Ranch, right?"

Jack nodded and wiped a sweat off his brow. He looked at his sister and said, "Go on. Get your pets. I can handle this."

Claire grinned and hugged her brother. "Thanks, Jack! I'll be back in a jiffy!"

She exited Jack's farm and ran as fast as she could to Yodel Ranch. She spotted May playing with her pets and another dog.

She grinned and whistled. March's and Cindy's ears perked up at the familiar whistle. They saw her standing just beyond the gate. She entered the ranch, sat down, and opened her arms. The cat and the dog ran to her and she engulfed them both in a big hug.

Cindy purred softly and March yipped happily. "Oh, goddess, I missed you both so much! Did my babies eat well? Did you sleep well?" she asked them.

"I made sure that they eat a lot and I made them sleep in the empty bed upstairs," May said softly.

Claire looked up at her and saw the sincerity in her big eyes. The other dog, a brown one, barked as if to confirm the little girl's statement. The blonde grinned at her and said, "I don't doubt it. I'm sure you take care of animals very well."

May nodded. "I do!" She smiled at the farmer. "You're very pretty, Miss Claire!"

"Thank you," she said with a big smile. "You're very pretty too, Miss May!"

The girl's eyes widened and she blushed cutely. "T-thank you."

Claire put down her pets and stood up. She offered her hand to the little girl. "Would you and your dog like to come to my brother's farm?"

May's eyes lit up. "I'll ask grandpa first! Wait for me, okay?"

_1:30pm_

"Good job, May!" Jack cheered as May harvested her first sweet potato. She smiled widely and put it in the basket.

Claire brought her to the farm as promised. They were supposed to play with the animals, but May proposed that they help Mister Jack in harvesting. "He looks tired and I think he needs some help."

So the duo helped him and by the time the siblings finished harvesting all the crops, May had finally reaped her first. "What are we going to do next?" she asked excitedly.

"Well, I've finished caring for the animals, watering the crops, harvesting the crops, putting the crops in the bin," Jack said as he counted it off with his hands.

May looked at him in anticipation.

"The next thing we need to do is… eat lunch!" he exclaimed.

The girls cheered. "Where do you want to eat?" he asked them.

"Kai's shack!" Claire said. "I want to visit him too."

Jack grinned. "Well, ladies, our next destination is the Snack Shack! Last one there is a sour sweet potato!"

They sprinted off to the beach, May ran as fast as she could while the siblings only did so half-heartedly to let the little girl win.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** It's just a filler sort of thing. But anyway, Gray will be in the big picture soooon. And by soon, I mean the next chapter. Ha!**  
><strong>

So, I just want to explain why I've been out for so long. I've been really busy. To be honest, I started this chapter as soon as I finished the seventh. I just didn't have time to finish. I barely got to use my laptop to write during the holidays. And life as a grade ten student is hard, but it's definitely fun! I hope you enjoy this chapter because I did. The siblings are adorbs!

Have you watched Answer Me 1997 and Shut Up Flower Boy Band? My oppas are there. I love Infinite!

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** **HEY, GUYS! I POSTED THIS 2 MONTHS AGO, BUT NOBODY REVIEWED OR ANYTHING. IT'S BECAUSE I CHANGED THE TITLE. I AM SO SORRY, GUYS. I FORGOT TO INFORM YOU. SO I DELETED THE CHAPTER AND NOW IT'S UP AGAIN AND I CHANGED THE TITLE BACK TO PRETTY BOY UNTIL ALL MY READERS ARE INFORMED. Again, I'm really sorry. I had to use caps and bold it so you would notice. Note that the A/N after this note is the same with the first update of the ninth chapter. GUYS, I'M GOING TO CHANGE IT BACK TO RUGGED BOY AFTER THIS CHAPTER! THANKS!**

Yes, I'm still alive. HELLOOOO. I'm sorry for the late update. And I admit, it's because of The Big Four. I just... fell in love. Again, I'm really sorry for the late update. Please stick with me?

**Thank you to harvestmoonconfessions for the cover! It's a wallpaper and they allowed me to use it. Thank you so much! Check them out on Tumblr!**

**I also changed the title from Pretty Boy to Rugged Boy. Our hammer-wielding hottie may be pretty, but his attitude totally screams, "RUGGED!"**

So, without further ado, here's Chapter 9 of Rugged Boy!

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><p>Rugged Boy<p>

By TheMaskedGirl

_10:00pm_

Claire sighed as she lowered herself in the hot spring. She was exhausted. She harvested crops and helped Kai manage his shop. There were a lot of tourists in town. They were there to attend the Fall Horse Race. It was a really busy day at the shack.

There was a hot spring rule to wear a towel while bathing. But it was late in the evening and there was no one else around, so she decided to skinny-dip instead.

She closed her eyes as the hot water soothed her body and mind.

_10:15pm_

Claire woke up to the sound of a manly scream. She opened her eyes and saw, to her horror, a young man staring at her, eyes and mouth wide open.

She tried to cover her body with her hands. "Oh, goddess! Stop looking!" she screamed at him.

The man blinked a few times. He closed his eyes and covered them with both of his hands... which resulted to the towel around his waist, kept in place by his left hand, to fall. He realized it too late.

Claire screamed again. "Cover yourself!"

He quickly grabbed the towel and secured it around his waist. He closed his eyes again. "S-sorry," he mumbled.

Claire was blushing hard. A stranger saw her completely naked while she was sleeping! She also saw him towel-less and her innocent mind was scarred. But there was a more pressing matter at hand: she was still nude. "I-I-"

"D-don't worry. I d-didn't see much," he offered. His eyes were still shut and he was blushing as much as her.

She blushed harder. His statement gave her no comfort. "I'm-I'm still," she tried to explain.

He understood immediately. "S-sure. I-I won't peek. I promise."

Claire quickly got out of the water and grabbed her towel from the bench. She wrapped it around herself. She grabbed her bathrobe and wore it. She tied it tightly. "I'm decent. Kinda."

The man slowly opened his eyes and Claire realized she had seen those eyes before.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. He reached out to grab something above his head, but it was not there. He looked down.

"Don't worry. It was my fault anyway. I shouldn't have done that," she said.

"Are you still going to bathe? Do you want me to leave?" the man asked. He was still blushing.

"No," Claire said. "B-but please don't tell anyone about this." She didn't know if he was a villager or a tourist, but either way, she wanted him to keep mum about the incident.

"Sure." He still didn't look at her.

Claire uttered a short goodbye. She hurriedly walked to the exit to avoid another accident, but she slipped on the wet ground and fell, butt first

The man rushed to her and helped her sit up. She winced. "Can you stand? Do you want me to bring you back to the inn?" the man asked her worriedly.

"Yeah, I can. And no, thanks. I can manage." She stood up and stroked her sore bottom. "Thanks, uh…"

"Gray," the man said and offered the smallest of smiles.

"Thanks, Gray," she said sincerely. She thrust her hand forward and said, "I'm Claire."

He shook her hand and nodded. "Take care."

Claire waved goodbye and left without looking back. _Dearest goddess, please let him be a tourist._

**Fall 17**

_1:00pm_

_Dearest goddess, why do you hate me?_

Claire entered Kai's shack and felt her whole world crumble. Gray was sitting on a booth with Cliff and they were having a _conversation_. He was wearing a blue hat with the word UMA in front. He was _blushing_ and Cliff was _laughing_.

She walked to their booth and glared at Gray. "Excuse me," she interrupted.

Cliff's face lit up when he saw her. "Oh, Claire. We were just talking about you," he said. He let out a chuckle when he saw her glaring at Gray and gestured to the empty seat beside Gray. "Have a seat." He noticed that Gray stiffened when she sat down.

"Did he tell you?" she immediately asked.

Cliff blinked a few times and feigned innocence. "What?"

Claire blushed, a mix of anger and embarrassment. "About last night!"

The brunet suppressed a grin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She faced the silent man beside her and glared. "I thought we agreed not to tell _anyone_," she hissed. "And what are you doing here?"

"He made me tell him. What am I doing here? What are _you_ doing here?" Gray hissed back. He glared right back at her. "Why are you acting like you own this place?"

She was surprised. The man beside her was acting rude. "You're nothing like the man I met last night! What did you do to him? He was a gentleman!" she said, her voice raising a few decibels.

"No one said I was a gentleman!"

"Well, I certainly thought you were!"

Gray stood up and glared at her. "You thought wrong!"

Claire seethed. She stood up and looked at him defiantly although he towered over her. "You're worse than my ex-boyfriend!"

Cliff stood up from his seat and tried to pull Gray away, but the blue-eyed man was much stronger than him.

"I don't know who he is and I don't really care," he shot back and pulled his arm away from Cliff.

"You're an awful person!" she screamed.

"You have no right to judge me!" he shouted back. He crossed his arms.

Kai rushed out of the kitchen and went to them. He saw his customers looking at the two disapprovingly and winced. "I'm really sorry," he apologized to them. "Please, continue eating." He glared at the two. "In the kitchen. Now."

Claire bit her lip and walked to the kitchen. Gray followed her. Cliff was left standing in awe. "Goddess, Kai. You're really scary when you're mad."

He shrugged. "What happened?"

Cliff told him about last night's events and why Claire reacted that way. When he finished, Kai was laughing. "Gray's such a chatterbox. Who would've thought, eh?"

"Well, I did force him. But anyone would have been curious if he saw a girl's underwear on his best friend's bed," Cliff said. The brunets laughed.

But they stopped when they heard a loud crash from inside the kitchen. Kai's eyes widened. "I have knives there!"

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><p><strong>AN: **It's supposed to be longer, but then I thought that Kai's reaction wouldn't be as epic if I added more scenes. Heh.

I'm going to university in ten days! I'm not _that_ excited though because I'd have to live away from home. And I don't want that. But hey. There's a first for everything!

So, how was it? I hope you enjoyed it. OUR MAIN CHARACTERS **FINALLY **MET PROPERLY. After eight chapters. Are you bored? I hope you aren't. I didn't want to stray from Gray's real attitude so, tada! I'm sorry for the errors!

Don't leave me, please?

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Two words: I'M BACK! After more than a year of being on hiatus, I'm back and I'm here to stay. I'm sorry for making you all wait and I know this is an incredibly short chapter so I hope you forgive me. I apologize.

Word count: 1, 486

So, without further ado, here's Chapter 10 of Rugged Boy! Enjoy!

Kai and Cliff find Gray sprawled on the ground with Claire in front of him. If they were not aware of the hostility between the two, they would think that they were lovers about to get intimate. Kai, unable to stop himself, started laughing obnoxiously, startling the two.

Claire pushed herself off the man, sputtering incoherent excuses. Gray remained on the ground, too stunned to say anything.

"What happened?" Cliff asked concernedly. He was partly to blame for what had happened. "Are you alright?"

Claire nodded stiffly as a blush covered her cheeks. Gray gathered himself and sat up. "Your kitchen is so dirty, Kai," he said, scowling to hide his red face and inevitably failing.

"That's so like you, Gray," Kai returned, but in a teasing tone, "Blaming others to make everyone forget about your humiliation."

Claire hit him on the head and hissed. "I was also humiliated, you jerk."

The dark-skinned man grinned sheepishly at the blonde. "Sorry?"

"Sorry's not going to cut it," she said sternly. "Bring some chocolate-flavored shaved ice to the farmhouse. I'll be waiting." Without another word, she walked out on the three.

As she was closing the door to the kitchen, she heard an emotional voice—Gray's— say, "What's her problem?"

_5:40pm_

It was almost six in the evening and Kai still hadn't come. She knew for a fact that the shop closed at five and since Kai was nowhere the parameters of the farm, she was sure that the man had ditched her.

"Jerk," she mumbled as she lay on the couch eating baked—microwaved—corn that Kai left the day before. "He doesn't even know how to apologize properly."

Cindy meowed and jumped on the couch to lie near her feet. "Jack isn't even here to cook for me," she complained. "I want something sweet."

She looked at March, who was obediently sitting on the floor. "Do I sound like a whiny brat?" she asked. The dog woofed, as if saying yes, and she laughed. She knew she was acting worse than a child, but it was the only thing she could do.

That, or think about the gorgeous blue eyes of the cruel man named Gray.

She realized that it wasn't fair of her to suddenly shout at him. She didn't even know the reason why he did that. He didn't look like a pervert who would take pleasure in recounting his adventures with a friend.

A series of knocks resounded on the door and she cheerfully got up, expecting her best friend. She opened the door along with her mouth, ready to chide him for being late. But instead of the tan man, the blue-eyed cap-wearing man was there. "What are you doing here?" She glared at him. "Cindy! March!"

The two animals ran to her. She was expecting them to bark and hiss at Gray, but instead, they curled around his feet. "Traitors!" she said and glared at her pets. She raised her head to look at the perpetrator.

Gray's eyes were covered by his hat and she could only see his lower face. "Uhm, I—is that baked corn?" He raised his head and looked at her, eyes sparkling.

"Yes?" she said uncertainly.

"Oh, yeah. I came to apologize." He lowered his head again. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude."

A smile tugged on Claire's lips. "Sorry for yelling at you. And for comparing you to my low-life good-for-nothing ex-boyfriend." She noticed the plastic cup on Gray's hand. "Did Kai ask you to bring that?"

He scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "I made this, actually. Kai forced me. I mean, he—I don't—"

She laughed and Gray's head shot up, as if surprised at the sound she made. "You don't have to be so nervous, you know?" she told him. "Come in."

He reluctantly entered the farmhouse, the pets still sticking close to him. Claire sat on the couch and invited him. "Sit. Where's the annoying prick who shouted at me earlier?"

His ears turned red in embarrassment, but sat on the couch anyway. He cleared his throat. He wasn't exactly good at socializing. "Uh..."

"If this was about what happened earlier, it's okay," Claire said. "I gave it some thought and I was actually in the wrong."

Gray's head shot up for the second time that day. "No," he started, "It was my fault—"

"It was mine too."

"No," he insisted. "I'm the only one to blame."

Claire sighed, but a smile was playing on her lips. "You're pretty stubborn, aren't you? Will it satisfy you if I say that you're the only one who was wrong?"

"Yes!" he said sincerely.

She looked at him curiously as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're an interesting person."

He blushed furiously once again. It was clear to her that the big man wasn't used to compliments. She used that time to examine him. He was tall, but not as tall as the Doctor. He had a pretty face that unfortunately reminded her of Skye, the Phantom Thief. This brought a frown to her face.

Gray noticed that she was looking at him sourly and said softly, "Did I do something wrong?"

She snapped up, surprised. "What? No, nothing. Why?"

He furrowed his brows. "You were making a really annoyed face."

She looked at him gently. She realized how soft-hearted he was despite the pretense of being cold and heartless. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about my ex-boyfriend."

"How awful was he?" he asked slowly.

She grinned at him. "I'll tell you next time. Maybe when we're close enough."

He breathed a sigh of relief. If Claire was talking about a next time, then that would mean he was forgiven, even if not entirely. At least he still had a chance of making things right.

Claire thrust the plate of baked corn in front of Gray. There was still a whole cob left. "Do you like baked corn?"

He grinned and took it graciously. Normally, he would reject the offer, especially from someone he didn't know that well. But it was baked corn and he was starving. Kai made him slave off for hours. "I love it. Are you sure it's okay if I can have it?" he asked shyly.

She nodded and grabbed the cup of shaved ice and the spoon that came along with it. "Think of it as payment for this. You worked hard, didn't you?" She took a large bite and cringed. She didn't know how anyone could fail in making shaved ice. It was literally just shaved ice and some flavoring.

"That bad, huh?" he mumbled.

"Yeah," she said honestly. "But it's pretty good for your first try!"

"That's my seventh try," he said dryly. "I thought Kai would let me use his syrup, but he made me make my own. Sorry."

Claire didn't know what to say. _He went that far? He's actually a pretty decent man. _They stayed silent while eating their food. Gray happily munched on his baked corn while she absent-mindedly ate her shaved ice. The taste was becoming more and more tolerable the more she ate it.

She heard Gray clear his throat and she looked at him questioningly. "Hm?"

"I don't mean to pry," he started, "but why did you suddenly move to Mineral Town? You're from Forget-Me-Not Valley, aren't you? Cliff told me."

She smiled wryly. "You're actually prying," she said and he blushed. "But it's okay. I'll tell you." She set down her cup and raised her legs to hug them to herself. "I felt lonely there." It was a vague answer, but she didn't want to elaborate.

Gray seemed to notice her reluctance and nodded understandingly. "Being lonely is enough of a reason," he said. He looked up at the ceiling and frowned. "I'm actually feeling lonely here too," he confessed. "I might have to leave and go back to the city soon."

She didn't know why, but she felt compelled to stop him. She had only met him recently and they didn't even start off as friends, but something—or someone—was telling her that she would regret it later if she didn't do anything. "Do you really want to go?"

He sighed. "That's the problem. I don't know. I don't know if I want to go, but I don't know if I want to stay either. I just," he paused, "I just want to find happiness."

She raised her hand and patted his shoulder. "Then stay." She smiled at him sincerely. "Give the town a chance. Maybe you'll find happiness here."

He smiled and she realized that it had been the first time she saw him smile like that. She thought that it suited him and that he should smile some more.


End file.
